Toronto turns into a different city once December hits. The lights go up along Yonge-Dundas Square, Roy Thomson Hall fills with orchestras, and every weekend before Christmas feels busier than the last. This is the season to plan ahead if you want good seats, because Toronto, ON does not slow down between November and early January, it speeds up.
Some Christmas shows here have become part of the city's rhythm. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra's Elf in Concert brings the film to life with a live orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall, while their Messiah performances offer the kind of grand, traditional sound that defines the holidays for so many Torontonians. Over at the Four Seasons Centre, the National Ballet of Canada's The Nutcracker returns for its yearly run, still one of the most requested tickets in the city. And if candlelight concerts are more your pace, Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings and Candlelight: Christmas Classics at The Royal Theatre bring a quieter, warmer kind of holiday event to the calendar.
Beyond the concert halls, there are plenty of things to do at Christmas in Toronto, from festive lights bus tours that loop past the city's best decorated corners to family outings that fill an entire afternoon. December weekends, especially the ones closest to Christmas, book up fast, so grabbing tickets early means more freedom to choose your date. Scroll down and start planning your holiday season around the shows and events that made our list.
Roy Thomson Hall · Toronto, ON
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra performs Handel's Messiah at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto. A holiday-season staple, the Baroque oratorio and its famous Hallelujah chorus bring together orchestra, choir and soloists in the…
The Royal Theatre · Toronto, ON
Candlelight concert at The Royal Theatre, a neighbourhood venue on College Street in Toronto, lit entirely by candles for the holiday season. A string quartet performs Christmas classics — Silent Night, Jingle Bells,…
The Royal Theatre · Toronto, ON
Candlelight concert at The Royal Theatre on College Street in Toronto, devoted to Christmas classics. A string quartet runs through All I Want for Christmas Is You, Last Christmas, Jingle Bells, White Christmas and…
Meridian Arts Centre: Greenwin Theatre · Toronto, ON
Orchestra Toronto and the Orpheus Choir of Toronto perform the holiday concert Cherished Traditions at the Greenwin Theatre in Toronto. The afternoon at the Meridian Arts Centre brings together well-loved carols,…
Secret Location Toronto · Toronto, ON
Ballet of Lights: The Nutcracker in a Sparkling Show
Meridian Hall · Toronto, ON
'Twas the Night Before, the Cirque du Soleil's first-ever holiday show, returns to Toronto's Meridian Hall. Inspired by Clement Clarke Moore's classic poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," the show follows a jaded young…
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts · Toronto, ON
The National Ballet of Canada performs The Nutcracker at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts on Queen Street West in Toronto. James Kudelka's staging moves E.T.A. Hoffmann's tale into a Russian-flavoured…
Roy Thomson Hall · Toronto, ON
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra performs John Debney's score live while the holiday film Elf plays on the big screen at Roy Thomson Hall. Will Ferrell's Christmas comedy unfolds alongside the full orchestra. Performances…
Roy Thomson Hall · Toronto, ON
Holiday film-with-orchestra event at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto: the movie "Elf" screens in full while the Toronto Symphony Orchestra performs John Debney's score live. The story follows Buddy, raised among Santa's…
Yonge-Dundas Square · Toronto, ON
Toronto's Christmas lights seen from the top deck of a double-decker bus, on a City Sightseeing run through the illuminated downtown. Knowledgeable local guides ride along and tell the stories behind the city's holiday…
Yonge-Dundas Square · Toronto, ON
Holiday season in Toronto, taken in from a bus: a guided ride tracing the landmarks that wear the city's most dazzling Christmas lights. The route works its way across the vibrant downtown and covers Nathan Phillips…
